]]>http://pillarsocialmedia.com/flash-sale-website-template-page-funnel-sports-site-clickfunnels/feed/0ClickFunnels Complete Review The Best Funnel Building Softwarehttp://pillarsocialmedia.com/clickfunnels-complete-review-the-best-funnel-building-software/
http://pillarsocialmedia.com/clickfunnels-complete-review-the-best-funnel-building-software/#commentsSat, 21 Oct 2017 15:52:14 +0000EricVogelhttp://pillarsocialmedia.com/?p=4868]]>On the internet, if it’s not a saturated market, it is new. So, yea, ClickFunnels is a new revolutionary online software platform that is changing how products and services are sold on the internet as we know it. It has been used by entrepreneurs across the globe, me included, to revolutionize their business practically over night because of how quickly you can implement the ClickFunnels platform.

There are a numerous features inside of ClickFunnels but what they are most known for is the ease of building complete sales funnels with one click up sells and down sells. In this review I let you know what the Click Funnels platform provides.

What is ClickFunnels?

This seems like a smart place to start, and don’t expect a generic definition. ClickFunnels is too sophisticated to be defined in a simple sentence. However, ClickFunnels is a system that can help your online business do a lot better with sales funnels, landing pages, opt-in pages, checkout pages and more!

…who aren’t programmers

…who don’t know how to design

…Can Easily Build Pages Inside of A Sales Funnel That Are Proven To Convert!

I’ll go right out and say that ClickFunnels is an easy option for building and designing a sales funnel, landing page, sales page, webinar page and Opt-In Page. You don’t even need any prior know-how with the system because there are a ton of templates to choose with easy prompts and “how to” videos to follow. The custom templates provide you with design elements, content fields, and images that you can basically make the landing page or sales page you desire in a matter of minutes… LITERALLY!

You also get to bypass the alternative of paying a developer or graphics designer to get this easy chore done for you.

Over the past couple of years, there have been related products to ClickFunnels that help you design website pages, lead pages with opt-in forms etc. However, they are either too slow, complicated, buggy or conversion rates on their templates don’t outclass what you get from ClickFunnels. I’ll go ahead and mention Optimize Press 2.x and LeadPages. Optimize Press 2.x went too far with the drag and drop functionality that makes the use of their system slow and frustrating. LeadPages does an okay job as far as page building and landing pages go. However, ClickFunnels edges them out with their complete funnel building and one click upsells / downsells.

What happens to the payment processor aspect of your online business?

The marketing?

The webinars if necessary? The list goes on…

ClickFunnels doesn’t stop at the landing page or sales page. It is the whole package that helps you go from zero to six figures all with their All-In-One software. Maybe I should have said business idea to business sales, but you get the point, right? ClickFunnels realizes that a landing or sales page is not going to be all you need to make rein in sales from your online business. Hence, it is a platform that lets you establish your whole process of revenue generation with one system, one funnel.

It doesn’t stop here; ClickFunnels does not end with page templates, funnel templates are a part of the package. If you want to use a different ClickFunnels system to make sales, you can choose from templates that change everything within the funnel, not just the landing pages and sales pages. So, if you are thinking about a funnel with a Opt-In Landing Page for a webinar registration? That leads all the way to a thank you page? with a live webinar page included? And even a page for the replay? Then a sales page…

You see how complex that sketchy algorithm was? ClickFunnels has your back and makes this a simple process. What Clickfunnels provides overall as a package used to take ten’s of thousands of dollars to create custom pages to do the same thing.

I don’t know if you caught the drift all along, but the real thing of beauty in using ClickFunnels is in its multi-purposefulness. You can arrange webinars and setup membership sites right from ClickFunnels. Goals that would usually take 2 or more systems to achieve all in one funnel. I’ll mention LeadPages once more. They also have some incredible webinar templates, but fall short of ClickFunnels levels without the options to send out emails to a range of audiences. ClickFunnels lets you send emails to individuals who did not participate, or those who participated but didn’t come across the offer.

Now, here’s more awesome stuff… ClickFunnels lets you link and setup your third party merchant account and payment processor directly within each funnel. With a few clicks you can link a Stripe account to your ClickFunnels account and start receiving alerts when sales pour in!

How To Sell A Digital Ebook On The Internet And Make Money Using Sales Funnels ClickFunnels Review

Video Transcript:

I want to give you an inside look at my click funnels account and explain why I like itso much. In the past I used Aweber , Mail Chimp, Active Campaign, Optimize Press and several other platforms. I’m so glad that I consolidated everything into one place now… ClickFunnels. It integrates with all of the major 3rd party platforms on the web so you can gradually move everything under Click Funnels. I really wish I would’ve transitioned over sooner… I have been using ClickFunnels for about two years now and want to give you a look into my account, show you some specific sales funnels and explain why I like it so much. Here is the main dashboard area of ClickFunnels which it takes you to immediately upon logging in. You can see it is really user-friendly and visually appealing. You can click inside by just scrolling over and you can see which sales funnel is getting the best results. I can also click on Opt-Ins and it will show me just the opt-ins for each funnel. I can see the analytics of that specific funnel and it breaks down you’re page views per funnel as well. It will show you the real time sales of each specific funnel.

The Click Funnels funnel flow is easy to see visually. If they Opt-In they are immediately taken to the Trip Wire Offer – Special “No Brainer” Offer – I recommend a 70% or above deal for this. In this example it’s a ebook package deal that is normally $67 and selling for $10 (85% OFF). You will also see I offer what’s called a bump offer after they enter all their payment information. This offer is another very big special deal only available on this page…if they don’t take it they miss out… This bump is a way to make a better margin on your initial offer and allow you to pay the most for your ideal customers over your competitors. If the customer purchased the initial offer for $10 didn’t take the next OTO “one time offer” for $67 then they are taken to a payment plan option for two payments of $37.

After they move past this page they are offered another OTO “one time offer” for a larger ebook package bundle which is a 5 ebook bundle pack. Again if they don’t take this offer they will be offered a 2 pay payment plan for this ebook package. One initial payment now and one in 30 days…

These one time offer upsells just need to be clicked once since clickfunnels stores their initial credit card information from their first purchase. This makes if very simple for the buyer to take the upsell offers. Keep in mind that the easier you can make if for a customer to purchase your products the more they are likely to buy.

I want to give you a look into where you create your email lists for segmentation. Here I have my top five passing sessions email list. Each person that opts in will go into that list of subscribers. You can also have a list for your buyers. You’ll want to create an email list for each ebook sales funnel that you create. If the visitor just opts-in to get the free ebook and doesn’t purchase anything else throughout the funnel they will stay on the top five passing list until they purchase something else through the email followup sequence. If they end up purchasing any product they will be taken off the top five email list and added to the buyer list.

Actionetics is where you have your email lists and create your automated action funnels “email sequences” If they don’t buy anything and just opt-in to get the free sessions that is still a BIG win! This means you can add them to one of your action funnels sequences and deliver emails to them automatically. These emails can lead people to your blog website that has high value content related to what they initially opted in for with their email address. This will start to develop your relationship with the people on your email list.

The indoctrination sequence is the first three emails or so where you are fully providing value by training and teaching on your niche topic… no sales at this point of the sales funnel. After you provide this value you can then integrate in your sales emails. You can see here how the email sequence works. Every three days they will get the next email in the sequence automatically. You can set that out to be days or hours and then they are automatically sent through send grid which you connect to your account. SendGrid is a program that sends out the emails and shows the overall statistics of opens and clicks. This is easily integrated within your ClickFunnels account.

Now we’re going to look into the exact funnel so those are the email sequence know what skill funny so funny. And will go into the app in a book from Sicario here’s where you are funny she can easily see the sequence of the final figures acting immediately after the opt-in they are sent to a special offer that is normally $47 and they are offering it for just $10 on this page only, plus were throwing in a bonus ebooks we give three ebooks in this offer. You want to make this first offer very good because the hardest part of online sales is getting someone to open up their wallet and pay for a product. So you want to make this offer a “No Brainer” for the potential customer.

The great thing with ClickFunnels is that you don’t have to be a coder or graphic designer because it has everything already built in with a drag and drop visual elements. I’m able to create these all by myself and don’t have to know any html code to make it work and look professional. It’s very simple to use and I can click here and add an image easily. The platform is very user friendly and you can just integrate your third party platforms if you need to straight into ClickFunnels. When I was using Aweber still I had integrated that to work with Clickfunnels and now i’ve converted everything over to use Actionetics to handle everything with email lists, auto responders, broadcasts and more!

]]>http://pillarsocialmedia.com/how-to-sell-a-digital-ebook-on-the-internet-and-make-money-using-sales-funnels-clickfunnels-review/feed/0One Time Offers, One Click Upsells Downsells Inside of a Successful Ebook Sales Funnel Clickfunnelshttp://pillarsocialmedia.com/one-time-offers-one-click-upsells-downsells-inside-of-a-successful-ebook-sales-funnel-clickfunnels/
http://pillarsocialmedia.com/one-time-offers-one-click-upsells-downsells-inside-of-a-successful-ebook-sales-funnel-clickfunnels/#commentsMon, 20 Mar 2017 18:51:02 +0000EricVogelhttp://pillarsocialmedia.com/?p=4819]]>Sales funnels are one of the most profitable ways to sell on the internet. One of the best ways to create a complete sales funnel with an Opt-In Page, One Time Offer Page, One Click Upsells, One Click Downsells, Confirmation Pages, Thank you Pages and more is with ClickFunnels. Here’s a quick video on my successful ebook funnel (you can get the complete ebook funnel free) Watch and see why and how…

I’ve personally generated over $100,000 selling digital products online through clickfunnels. I can say with confidence the clickfunnels software has everything you need to build a list, capture customer information, create sales funnels, send digital products, receive payments, create an affiliate program and so much more.

A great place to start would be to take their 14 day test drive for free. I’ll also give you my complete Ebook sales funnel that have proven to work as you can see in the step by step video above.

]]>http://pillarsocialmedia.com/one-time-offers-one-click-upsells-downsells-inside-of-a-successful-ebook-sales-funnel-clickfunnels/feed/012 Tips on How to use Instagram for Businesshttp://pillarsocialmedia.com/12-tips-on-how-to-use-instagram-for-business/
http://pillarsocialmedia.com/12-tips-on-how-to-use-instagram-for-business/#commentsMon, 10 Nov 2014 14:49:23 +0000EricVogelhttp://pillarsocialmedia.com/?p=4676]]>Instagram, a mobile online photo and video sharing social media platform that connects users through the power of visual content. Though a mobile platform, users can share photos via Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr. Forrester Research found that millennial users are commenting, liking, and sharing photos on Instagram more than they are on Facebook or Twitter—pretty good boasting rights.

With this statistic in mind, marketers are driving businesses to Instagram in droves. It creates a challenge for the business, though: how do they market themselves solely through photos? Instagram now offering videos as long as 15 seconds (compared to Vine’s 6.5) gives marketers greater room for expression, but with photo sharing as Instagram’s claim to fame, the art of telling story through photo must be mastered.

We laid out 12 tips on how to use Instagram for business. Apply one or all, but don’t make the mistake of ignoring Instagram without due consideration (that being it’s the most powerful sharing platform on the web).

When you’ve signed up, be sure to fill out your profile and picture to let the world know what your brand is. Forgetting or skipping on the “About your profile” section is a huge mistake. That’s where interested users will click to find out your website or email address. Make sure the photo is a clear representation of your business without cutting off any part of your business name.

Don’t be pushy. Don’t just pump out sale pitchy images of your business’s latest sale or products. Decide what the story you want your business to share is. If you run a restaurant, you could share pictures of your dishes, employees hustling, the happy diners eating it, the sweet Ferrari in the parking lot, and so forth. If you’re a hair stylist, share pictures of your clients’ new ‘dos and your zany outfit of the day.

Connect with your business Facebook account so Facebook fans know they can find you on Instagram and will follow you across both channels. And on Instagram, just as you want fans to follow you, be sure to do the same back. Fans love it when their favorite brands follow them back, and better yet, respond to their comments.

Host contests to increase engagement. Invite your followers to share photos revolving around whichever topic you want to see. If you run a chip or snacks company, you could invited followers to share a picture of themselves with a bag of your chips doing something fun for a chance to win a gift card, box of chips, or whatever you like. Tell them to use the designated hashtag to enter (#funwithchips). The possibilities of photo subjects are endless!

Showcase your team! Give followers an inside peek at your world by snapping pics of employees and their work spaces. And your employees will enjoy sharing those moments with all of their followers!

Brand your own hashtags. It might just catch quicker than you think. Run a dog grooming salon? Start a trend like #MondayMutt and send out a photo of the cutest pet in your salon that day. Another example? #SalsaSaturday if you’re working a Mexican food truck or diner, featuring your newest salsa creation of the week.

Follow popular trends. Don’t want to create your own? Follow what’s trending and put your own spin on it. Who doesn’t know and enjoy Throwback Thursdays (#tbt)? Upload pictures of your company’s past and enlighten your audience with a fun peek into the history of your brand.

Several filters are available to transform your photos

Show off your artistic side. Instagram offers several filters to lend an artistic twist to your pictures. Choose the one that you feel works best and shake it up now and then.

Connect with others. We’ve already mentioned how you should follow your fans and creating your own hashtags. Don’t forget to use hashtags others might be looking up to find someone in your line of business. Architect firm? Use hashtags like #architecture and #design on a regular basis.

If your business has a Facebook account, use it to help your Instagram account and vice versa. Alert FB fans to an Instagram-only contest or use photos submitted on Facebook on your Instagram page. Fans love when their favorite brands highlight them and they love exclusive contests!

Create a posting schedule for your Instagram account. Making it ahead of time will keep you from over-sharing as well as under-sharing. Once a day, 3-5 times a week is ideal.

Another tip is to check out what your competition is up to. If they’re not on Instagram yet—great! You’re a step ahead and you can set the standards! If your competition is on Instagram, see what works well for them and what doesn’t, and then use our tips to make your own brand stand out.

]]>http://pillarsocialmedia.com/12-tips-on-how-to-use-instagram-for-business/feed/2Which social media platform should I be using for my business?http://pillarsocialmedia.com/which-social-media-platform-should-i-be-using-for-my-business/
http://pillarsocialmedia.com/which-social-media-platform-should-i-be-using-for-my-business/#commentsThu, 09 Oct 2014 20:14:09 +0000EricVogelhttp://pillarsocialmedia.com/?p=4639]]>

By now you’ve noticed some brands’ Facebook posts popping up in your newsfeeds. They may be brands you’ve heard of, like Oreo, Applebee’s, or Skechers, or they may be brands you haven’t heard of, but appear to be targeted to your particular interests. Businesses of all kinds and all sizes are on Facebook and other social media platforms, and if a business isn’t on at least one social media platform yet, then it’s behind its competitors.

If your business falls into that category, then here’s your quick guide to getting up to speed! More than 1.2 billion users are on Facebook alone; that alone tells you there’s a huge pool of consumers to tap into just through that one social media platform.

Facebook is a great social media channel for just about any business because it holds the honor of most users. Keep in mind, though, more and more teenagers are drifting away from Facebook because more and more, how shall we say…mature users are signing up for the site. It still remains a great site because it allows businesses to tailor their ads to their target demographic right down to age, gender, location, and interests.

But if your company wants to target the teen market, your business should also put considerable effort into social media sites like Twitter or Instagram.

Twitter isn’t just for teens, of course, but marketers and business owners need to recognize that Twitter is a faster-paced platform than Facebook with its users often logging on multiple times per week, if not per day. Its posts are limited to 140 characters, so messages need to be concise. Twitter is really best for businesses with emerging technologies or frequent news to share. Having said that, businesses in the technology field would do well, marketing companies, sports-related businesses, and news organizations as well. These are all industries that would have information to share not just on a daily basis, but closer to an hourly basis! Business owners need to keep in mind that Twitter requires more attention to keep brand awareness levels up.

We mentioned Instagram earlier, too. Instagram is a fantastic photo-sharing social media platform ideal for the food, fashion, technology, and any industry that has a product consumers want to see. It’s also got a large share of 18-29 year old users, in case your business targets that demographic specifically. If your business is a recruiting firm, for example, Instagram may not be the best social media platform since there is no tangible product to show off (we suppose you could post photos of all your happily placed candidates?).

Another fast-growing social media site is Pinterest. Like Instagram, Pinterest is visual-oriented. But it’s not simply a site to share one’s own photos; it’s where users “pin” photos from other users, websites, or their own computer folders. Users create boards and then pin photos that fit those boards—common boards are wedding ideas, cooking recipes, vacation dreams, etc. Again, businesses with products to share should get on Pinterest right away. Jewelers, designers, photographers, and so on will see more return from Pinterest than any other social media site. A lot of this has to do with the site’s demographics: much of the site’s users are in the $50,000+ income range and about 35% are in the $100,000+ income range.

You’ve probably heard of Google Plus. It’s a content-sharing site that’s popular with technology companies and marketers who like to share information. While it has more than 560 million users, only about half that number is active on Google Plus. This is most likely because it’s linked with YouTube. Businesses should strongly consider Google Plus because it helps overall search rankings on Google itself because it is Google’s social platform so they will rank that information favorably higher. Even if your business does not fall under marketing or technology, you can keep it up-to-date with interesting articles related to your industry, updates like you post on Facebook, and share other users’ info or pictures.

YouTube, linked with Google Plus, is important for businesses to consider because searches on YouTube are second only to Google itself! Videos are increasingly becoming the marketing tool of choice. Consumers are more likely to watch a brief video than read an article (maybe we should have turned this article into a video?!) and are more likely to share a video with friends if it’s funny or touching. Businesses in any field should consider YouTube so long as they have the time and resources to find a good story and capture it in less than 2 minutes.

There are many other social media channels out there (and some that are yet to be), but that doesn’t mean your business needs to be on every single channel. Research the site’s demographics and what is published on the site. If your business targets those demographics and has content aplenty to share that fits its purpose, then go for it! If only one of those factors fits, don’t take the plunge just yet. Look at other sites, and if only one really feels like a good fit, that’s all you need to focus on.

]]>http://pillarsocialmedia.com/which-social-media-platform-should-i-be-using-for-my-business/feed/1Social Media Trends for Businesshttp://pillarsocialmedia.com/social-media-trends-for-business/
http://pillarsocialmedia.com/social-media-trends-for-business/#commentsFri, 20 Jun 2014 17:54:23 +0000EricVogelhttp://pillarsocialmedia.com/?p=4600]]>Social media technologies are continuing to evolve with new platforms being developed all the time. As a business, it is important to stay on top of what is happening with social media and thinking about how your company can use these technologies to reach new customers.

While some companies are using platforms like Snapchat, a photo messaging app where the content disappears after it is viewed, to reach younger consumers, not all new technologies are appropriate for all businesses. Find out what platforms your customers are using and you will know where to find them!

2014 Social Media Trends to Consider

40% of internet time is now spent on mobile devices. Is the content that you are sharing on social media easy to view on a smaller device? It should be.

Video Marketing

Put consumers at ease by creating short and engaging videos to market your products and services. Videos are tremendously popular and effective.

Be Engaging

No matter which social media platforms you choose to market your business on, you must be engaging. It’s not enough to just have a presence, you must have a message that people want to hear. If you aren’t sure what to post, companies like Pillar Social Media specialize in creating social media strategies and managing and growing brands on the social web.

Paid Ads

It is an increasing trend for businesses to pay to have their message seen on social media sites. Recently, platforms like Facebook have been reworking the algorithms that decide what to show users in their news feeds. Unfortunately, this hasn’t been good news for business pages. In order to guarantee that your most important messages are seen, try a paid ad on your prefered social networking site.

———

If you need help creating, managing, and growing your brand on the social web, Pillar Social Media can help. Within the world of social media, the difference between success and failure is the strategy behind the implementation. At Pillar Social Media, we provide the best ways to interact and engage with your communities on social networks, generate great content to share with your audience, and keep you and your social accounts up to date on any relevant changes in the social media industry.

]]>http://pillarsocialmedia.com/social-media-trends-for-business/feed/0Should I Use A Social Media Marketing Company?http://pillarsocialmedia.com/should-i-use-a-social-media-marketing-company/
http://pillarsocialmedia.com/should-i-use-a-social-media-marketing-company/#commentsFri, 30 May 2014 15:30:30 +0000EricVogelhttp://pillarsocialmedia.com/?p=4558]]>If you have been paying any attention at all in the past 5 years, you have seen the way social media has changed our world, from the way we interact with one another to the way we market our businesses. For those that thought social media was a passing fad, the trends seem to suggest that not only is social media growing in influence, but we are seeing new platforms being developed and becoming more popular all the time.

If you are at the point where you are wondering if your company should be using social media for marketing purposes, the answer is YES! In fact, check out these 10 Surprising Social Media Statistics from fastcompany.com.

Moving from SHOULD I? to HOW SHOULD I?

Yes, your company needs to be on social media. 93% of marketers are using social media. If your company has a marketing person or team and they don’t have a social media marketing strategy, it is time to create and implement one. If your company doesn’t have a marketing team or your marketing team is already stretched thin, you may want to strongly consider using a social media marketing company.

Here are 3 reasons why you should consider using a social media marketing company:

1. It takes time you don’t have.
With all the things on your plate as a business owner, you might not have the time to sit down and figure how to most effectively use social media to grow your business. Doing the research to stay current with social media trends and to create effective posts can be very time consuming. It just makes sense to hire a social media marketing company if you don’t have the time to put into it yourself. Also, you have more important things you could do right??

2. It’s what we do.
Social media marketing companies like Pillar are experts when it comes to promoting businesses on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and WordPress. It’s what we do all day, every day. We understand how to go from having a social media presence to reaching new customers using social media. We are up to date on the latest information regarding the evolution and changes in all the social networking platforms. We create effective and relevant strategies for businesses, it’s what we do.

3. If you are going to do it, do it well.
While DIY projects can be fun and sometime lead to a great product, some things are better left to the experts. If you or your team are not familiar with social media marketing, the best use of your time and money is to hire a social media marketing company to get the results you need to help grow your brand identity and bottom line.

Social media isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. It is time for your company to stop ignoring social media and start using it effectively to expand your reach. Luckily, companies like Pillar Social Media exist to create and manage social media marketing strategies for your business so that you can continue to do what you love and keep your business running smoothly.

]]>http://pillarsocialmedia.com/should-i-use-a-social-media-marketing-company/feed/0Summer is Approaching! Revamp Your Social Media Strategyhttp://pillarsocialmedia.com/summer-is-approaching-revamp-your-social-media-strategy/
http://pillarsocialmedia.com/summer-is-approaching-revamp-your-social-media-strategy/#commentsFri, 16 May 2014 14:41:05 +0000EricVogelhttp://pillarsocialmedia.com/?p=4538]]>SUMMER SOCIAL MEDIA TRENDS
Summer is quickly approaching and so are new trends in social media. In fact, socialmediatoday.com recently published an article on the 10 Social Media Trends for Summer 2014.

On the top of the list, the social networking platform Vine. Vine allows users to post 6 second videos and businesses are starting to create their own short videos for greater brand awareness and customer engagement. Here is a list of 15 Brands Kicking Butt on Vine from mashable.com. How is your company planning to use this emerging trend?

Another notable trend from the list, lifestyle content. In order to increase engagement, businesses need to start acting more like people on social media. People don’t use social media for the sole purpose of engaging with brands, they do it to engage with people. The best way to sell a product or service is to engage customers beyond marketing to them and to offer value beyond what you are trying to sell. While revamping your social media strategy this summer, keep this in mind.

Urban Outfitter’s #musicmonday is a great example of lifestyle content:

REVAMP YOUR STRATEGY
Trends in social media are constantly changing and evolving and marketing your business online has become more important than ever for business growth. Having your business found online and engaging with a willing audience on social media is continuing to change the way we market our products and services. You may be in a need a social media strategy revamp in light of new summer trends or you need to start thinking about implementing your first strategy and increasing your presence online. Either way, you can start by answering these questions:

What one way do you want your business to benefit from using social media for marketing? Brand awareness? Sales? Loyalty and retention?

Who will manage your social media strategy?

How are your competitors using social media to reach their target audience?

How will you measure your success?

What platforms are your target audience using and how are they using them?

Once you can answer these questions, you can go forward and create your plan. Of course with any marketing strategy, you need to do your research before getting started so you can make sure your marketing efforts are effective. The good news is, there are firms like Pillar Social Media that can create strategies for your business so that you can continue to keep your business running smoothly. If your business needs a social media plan and needs a team of experienced marketing professionals to implement the plan and keep up with changing trends, we can help. Contact us today.

With summer approaching, how is your business make the most of the new trends in social media? Let us know through our social links, email: info@pillarsocialmedia.com or phone 248.382.8117

]]>http://pillarsocialmedia.com/summer-is-approaching-revamp-your-social-media-strategy/feed/0What is AWeber and Why Should I Use It?http://pillarsocialmedia.com/what-is-aweber-and-why-should-i-use-it/
http://pillarsocialmedia.com/what-is-aweber-and-why-should-i-use-it/#commentsWed, 16 Apr 2014 17:56:32 +0000EricVogelhttp://pillarsocialmedia.com/?p=4504]]>Email marketing is often misunderstood and left on the back burner, which easily happens because people think it’s hard or a hassle. Well, AWeber has come along to change that. So, what is Aweber, you ask? AWeber develops and runs an opt-in email marketing service used by over 120,000 small businesses, bloggers, and entrepreneurs around the globe. Their web-based tools help businesses grow by staying in touch with customers and prospects through email.

AWeber is a great email marketing program for several reasons. Not only is it wonderfully customizable, but it also has great features like broadcast messages, reports, and managing subscribers. Broadcast messages are basically emails with an important message (like an upcoming event) that are sent once to all subscribers, certain ones, or to a certain email list – you get to choose! You also choose the day and time each broadcast will be sent.

AWeber reports are great. You can choose from account reports and list reports. With account reports, you can see how many opens, clicks, and revenue all of your lists accumulated over time. With List reports, you can do the same for individual lists, plus view daily/weekly/monthly subscribers, follow-up and broadcast totals and percentages, subscriber growth, ad tracking, and view subscriber data based on location. Having this information at your fingertips is extremely valuable!

AWeber allows you to automatically send follow up messages to your subscribers after a set amount of days and at whatever day of the week and time you choose. This an essential feature for busy business owners! You can also test emails before you send them to see what they would look like and make sure everything shows up properly. Along with the customizable follow up messages, signup forms follow suit. You can choose from hundreds of designs and easily copy and paste it into your blog or website – it’s that easy!

Check out this video we did showing the ins and outs of AWeber

Click to check out AWEBER. As you can see, AWeber is a fantastic email marketing service that you should definitely take advantage of. If you’re still not convinced that AWeber is right for you, give us a call. We can show you just how successful it can be for your business.

Keeping track of each of your social networks can be difficult, tedious, and time-consuming, especially if you have to check multiple accounts on each platform every single day. Talk about exhausting! It can be easy to forget to send a tweet or miss a comment left on one of your pages. This is where social media management tools come into play. Thankfully there are smart people out there who came up with the idea to create tools that help you manage all of your social media accounts in one location.

To get you started, we’ve compiled a list of the top 5 social media management tools you should be using:

5. Bitly

When you see Bitly, you probably think all it does is shorten links…but that would be wrong! Bitly also keeps every link you’ve shortened in a list and tracks the number of clicks each Bitly link has received as well as the total number of clicks and saves each link has. Organization AND statistics? Yes, please!

4. Statigram

If you couldn’t tell by the name, Statigram is specific to Instagram. With Statigram, you can easily search for a keyword or hashtag and like photos and follow users that appear. You can also view statistics (pictured above) and manage your comments and messages. In the statistics section, you are automatically shown the data for the past seven days, but you can also view the statistics for the past month, which includes more data and graphs. Statigram is a free service.

3. Social FlowSocialFlow is a dashboard that utilizes real-time data to get a feel for the interests of your Facebook and Twitter audiences, then puts your content out there in the times where it’ll get the most attention. SocialFlow uses your content to encourage user interaction by incorporating prominent insights, which shows you how effectively your audience is being reached. SocialFlow is a paid service.

2. HootSuite

HootSuite is a fantastic management tool in that it incorporates Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, WordPress, Mixi, and FourSquare all into one dashboard. You can schedule posts, measure the success of a campaign, and download custom reports. Talk about convenient! Hootsuite is FREE up to five accounts, after five accounts it starts at $9.99/m.

1. Sprout Social

Sprout Social is a great dashboard that is also aesthetically pleasing. It’s fast, easy to navigate, and gives you all of your information in one place – including built-in analytics with reports. You can also follow, comment on posts, send messages, tweet, schedule posts, and plenty more right on the website. Not only does it have a ton of great features, but it also includes the major social networks. LinkedIn? Check. Twitter? Yep. Google+? Uh huh. Facebook? Got it. This is the dream social media management tool!

Now that you’ve had a preview of five of the best social media management tools, you’re ready to begin the process of finding the ones that are right for you! Whether you are a large or small business, social media management tools can make your life a lot easier and spare you quite a bit of time. So take advantage of these wonderful tools – you’ll be glad you did!

]]>http://pillarsocialmedia.com/top-5-social-media-management-tools/feed/2Hashtags: Do You Really Need Them?http://pillarsocialmedia.com/hashtags-do-you-really-need-them/
http://pillarsocialmedia.com/hashtags-do-you-really-need-them/#commentsMon, 24 Mar 2014 16:17:35 +0000EricVogelhttp://pillarsocialmedia.com/?p=4474]]>Hashtags: what are they? How and when do you use them? Are they necessary? If you’re a social media novice, chances are these questions have crossed your mind. While hashtags may seem unnecessary, they are actually an elemental part of social media conversation. Not to mention, they can be very entertaining!

What is a hashtag?
A hashtag is the hash symbol (#) followed by a word or phrase. The hashtag allows users to search for posts about a specific topic. When you type a hashtag into the search bar on Twitter, Facebook, Vine, Tumblr, Pinterest, Instagram, and Google+, all of the posts with that hashtag will appear. Hashtags are not case sensitive and numbers are supported, but punctuation marks and any special characters like asterisks are not. For example, if you type #Blue Sea, only posts with the hashtag #Blue will appear, and #BlueSea will return the same results as #bluesea. Take a look at some of the tweets that appear when #MalaysiaAirlines is searched on Twitter:

How and When to Use Hashtags
Not only are hashtags a way of searching for a certain topic and organizing posts, but they can be used in contests/sweepstakes, for a specific event or campaign, or simple to voice your opinion in a larger discussion. From a marketing perspective, hashtags can be helpful in getting your posts noticed and bringing attention to an event or campaign your company is advertising. Make sure the hashtags are relevant to the subject you’re posting about. If your company is promoting a coffee fundraising event, using the hashtags #coffee and #cake would help users easily find you when they search for those hashtags. Also, don’t use too many hashtags in one post. One to three is the acceptable amount. You don’t want to be one of those annoying posters that uses way too many and ends up looking like a spammer!

You can also use the trending hashtags in your posts, but only if they’re relevant to your company. Like using an excessive amount of hashtags, this will also make you look like a spammer. If you have a special event or campaign you’re promoting, creating a custom hashtag is a great idea. Use it whenever you post about the event/campaign and remind others to use it when they post anything related! Be sure to keep it short and simple – #PillarSpeaks would be great for a speaking event that Pillar Social Media is hosting.

Necessary or Unnecessary?
As briefly discussed, hashtags can help bring attention to a specific event or campaign your company is putting on and also allow you to see what people are posting about it. Not only do hashtags give you extra insight, but they allow you to communicate with people you wouldn’t otherwise connect with. With hashtags, your posts become searchable by anyone and cross paths with those who don’t follow you, thus opening the window for new resources, connections, and conversation.

The bottom line: you should 100% take advantage of using hashtags. They are a great social media marketing tool and can be used in so many different ways. Jump on the bandwagon and gain exposure for your company!

]]>http://pillarsocialmedia.com/hashtags-do-you-really-need-them/feed/0How To Use Email Marketing Autoresponders For Your Businesshttp://pillarsocialmedia.com/emailmarketingautoresponders/
http://pillarsocialmedia.com/emailmarketingautoresponders/#commentsSun, 19 Jan 2014 04:45:59 +0000EricVogelhttp://pillarsocialmedia.com/?p=4406]]>
Having an email marketing program in place for any business is a must. One of the main reasons is because it will keep your current customers as well as potential customers up to date on new products and services you have to offer. In addition to email blasts you can also setup an email drip campaign in which it will automatically send out emails to subscribers at certain days and times that you set in the sequence of followup emails. Below are the top 5 reasons why you should implement an email marketing strategy into your business. At the end make sure you watch the detailed screen capture video I created for you going through how I setup my email marketing step by step.

1. Email Database- Email marketing software like Aweber will store all of the information you gather from people opting into your email list from an opt-in form or from you importing a .csv file. You can search subscribers and also see which emails they have opened.

2. Sign Up Forms (Opt-In Forms)- These forms collect the information you would like to capture from visitors on your website. For example, if you would like to capture first name, last name, email, address and phone number that can all be captured through one form. You can collect much more but mainly the name and email is what most businesses would like to capture. You can see an example below:

3. Broadcasts- This is a one time blast (broadcast) to your email list. Broadcasts are mainly used if you would like your entire list to get an email immediately. The email would include things like events, limited time specials, important company updates, new products/services and so on.

4. Follow Ups- This is a sequence of emails that once a user subscribes by a sign-up form or by you importing their email, they will then go through a certain amount of emails overtime that are automatically sent. These emails can contain any material you wish but one thing you want to make sure is that this information is “evergreen” content. Evergreen content is content that is perpetually relevant and always of interest to your readers. Follow up messages can be scheduled to be set to go out so many days after they received the last email. You can also specify the day and times that you would like these emails to be distributed. This is one of the most useful tools of an email marketing software because it can be working without you.

5. Reporting- Detailed reporting is available on most email marketing software. Mainly you want to track Opens over time, Clicks over time and Revenue Over Time. You will want to make sure bar graphs and detailed reporting is available with the email marketing software you end up going with.

Below is a video I created showing you exactly step by step how I setup and use the email marketing software that I highly recommend.

]]>http://pillarsocialmedia.com/emailmarketingautoresponders/feed/0Six Advantages of Using A Social Media Management Companyhttp://pillarsocialmedia.com/6-advantages-of-using-a-social-media-management-company/
http://pillarsocialmedia.com/6-advantages-of-using-a-social-media-management-company/#commentsMon, 28 Oct 2013 18:07:48 +0000EricVogelhttp://pillarsocialmedia.com/?p=4074]]>Social media has taken the world by storm over the past few years, becoming the forefront of businesses and customer attraction. In order to have a successful online presence, you need to be existent on social media. The majority of companies have jumped on the social media bandwagon, but it can be overwhelming to keep up with the latest trends and know what content to post and when, all on top of running a business. That’s where a social media management company comes into play.

Extensive KnowledgeSocial media management companies are comprised of people who are experts at their craft. They know the ins and outs of the social media world and can guide your company in the right direction. Simply being on social media is not enough; you need to be posting the right content at the right time or you risk being overcast by other updates. Social networks are constantly evolving, with new updates, analytics, and platform changes. It takes hard work and dedication to stay on top of the evolvement of the social media world and to understand the different strategies to increase and maintain your company’s relevance online. By hiring a social media management company, you can eliminate the extra work for your team while ensuring a positive online presence for your company.

Quality ContentThe teams at social media management companies work day in and day out to provide quality content for your company. Their goal is to increase your company’s relevance online while incorporating the appropriate content and strategy. With their expertise, social media teams use the strategy that best suits your company to create a positive and professional image for your brand.

Additional TimeBy hiring a company to take care of your social networks, you are ultimately freeing up time that can be used for daily business activities. If you decide to try doing social media in-house, you add the tasks of learning the social media world inside out (strategies, the different networks, online image and relevance, management tools, etc.) and generating content to post. Instead of adding an extra pile to your team’s workload – and the stress that comes along with it – you can hire an outside company to do the social media tasks for you!

Creative ThinkingSocial media management companies can provide an outside-the-box thinking approach when it comes to social networks and creating content. The team can come up with ideas that you may not have because they have the ability to use a fresh approach to any situation. By bringing a unique perspective, the social media team can create an original brand image for your company and use that to drive sales and traffic to your website.

More Money in Your BankYou’re probably thinking: “That doesn’t make sense…how could hiring a social media management company save me money?” Well, it’s true! By using an outside company for your social media needs, you are eliminating the extra tasks for your existing team. Supervising, updating, and replying to social media interactions along with research and content creation is a full-time job. Adding this onto your team’s daily duties will only cost more in terms of money, time, and quality of work. With twice the workload, people are bound to make mistakes due to the pressure of deadlines and being overwhelmed with the extra work. Some companies resort to hiring an individual or two to take over their social media; however, this can end up costing you more with the salary and benefits, training, and other hidden costs. With this solution, you will only have a person or two to direct your social media concerns to; with a social media management company, you’ll have an entire team on your side.

ResultsSocial media management companies are designed to provide your company with results: selecting and building the appropriate channels, creating content, developing your audience, and increasing engagement. The point of social media is to interact with your customers, build your audience, and form a positive brand image, all while driving traffic and sales. An experienced management company can achieve the results expected to occur with social media better than any in-house team can.

]]>http://pillarsocialmedia.com/6-advantages-of-using-a-social-media-management-company/feed/0Social Media and Search Engine Optimization Impacthttp://pillarsocialmedia.com/social-media-and-how-it-impacts-seo/
http://pillarsocialmedia.com/social-media-and-how-it-impacts-seo/#commentsMon, 14 Oct 2013 12:55:28 +0000Eric Vogelhttp://www.pillarsocialmedia.com/?p=3788]]>With the constant evolvement of the online world, traditional search engine optimization techniques are no longer adequate. Now SEO is more complex, with content, technology, and social media needing to be taken into consideration. It is no longer sufficient to perform the different tricks to become highly ranked on search results; a complete SEO plan needs to be set into place. By consistently updating your social networks daily with high-quality content, your company will have a greater chance at climbing the SEO ladder faster. Social media directly affects search engine optimization results, which most people don’t realize.

In the past, it was easy to become well ranked in search engine results by having keyword enriched content and relevant links, but with the changes in algorithms and technology, that alone simply won’t do anymore. Content is a strong aspect in determining SEO ranking, along with authority. Authority is the power of your website compared to competitors; the stronger your website is, the higher it will be in organic search results. How exactly authority is determined is unknown at this point, but it is imperative that the content appeals to and draws on human engagement.

More Engagement = More Authority

The quality of content engagement is determined in social media by the interactions between the poster and the audience. This includes mentions, retweets, comments, shares, reblogs, etc. – all of which contribute to your SEO ranking. Both the rate of these interactions and the authority of those partaking hold an important role. When you are regularly updating your social networks, you are not only keeping your audience engaged, but also increasing your organic search results position. If your audience isn’t interacting with your social networks, it could be a sign that they don’t see your content as valuable, which will ultimately affect your search results. When this happens, your sites are seen as less authoritative and less relevant, causing the competition to gain higher ranking in organic searches.

What can you do to fix this problem and appeal to your target audience? Find out what it is they want. Take the time to get to know your target audience. Use analytics (Facebook’s new insights is great) to determine what content they like the most (which posts of yours receive the most attention) and tailor it to accommodate their interests. Photos with text overlay are always a go-to when it comes to social media posts, as are simple status updates containing questions (“What a great morning to wake up to! What are your plans to take advantage of this gorgeous day?”). The key is to use content that is creative and appealing to your audience.

Now that you know social media and search engine optimization are directly correlated and what constitutes a great social network, you can be on your way to the top of the search results! Happy climbing!

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If you need assistance in your social media strategy, please contact us at 248-382-8117 or info@pillarsocialmedia.com.

Are you looking to improve your professional development when it comes to social media?

Do you feel overwhelmed by endless social media platform changes?

If so, Social Media Examiner has just the event for you.

The Social World is Changing

One of the biggest challenges marketers face these days is keeping up with the dizzying rate of change in social media marketing.

This year alone, Facebook has introduced Graph Search, Hashtags, Power Editor and recently, new Facebook Insights.

YouTube is another example. In March 2013, they significantly changed the layout for brand channels, forcing marketers to go back to the drawing board and rethink their strategies.

It can be unsettling trying to keep up with all of these changes, not to mention how much time it takes to learn and make the necessary adjustments.

Introducing Social Media Success Summit 2013…

How would you like to fast-track your social media learning curve?

Whether you’re a small business owner, a corporate marketer or an experienced social media user, you can discover the latest platform updates, social media tools, tactics and strategies and empower yourself to build a successful business.

This online event is designed to help you master the latest features, tactics and strategies for marketing with Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, YouTube, blogging, podcasting and video marketing.

Social Media Examiner founder and CEO Michael Stelzner and his team have recruited 45 of the world’s top social media marketing experts to share their newest tips and latest advice at Social Media Success Summit 2013.

In the past, thousands of marketers from around the world have gathered at Social Media Success Summits to discover new social media strategies, network with peers and discover how successful brands are using social media marketing.

Here are 9 compelling reasons you should attend Social Media Success Summit 2013:

#1: Fully Online

Travel is not required! The summit is 100% online so you can attend all the sessions live, wherever you are in the world, all from the comfort of your home or office computer!

#2: Convenient

The summit is spread over 4 weeks from October 1 to October 23, 2013 making it easier and more convenient to learn.

If you can’t attend a live session, you can watch the video recordings and read transcripts whenever your schedule permits. You can keep studying the material for up to one year from the date of your ticket purchase.

#3: Amazing Content

There will be 33 expert-led sessions designed to inspire you and give you actionable tips on how to build your business with social media marketing. But you don’t have to choose between these 33 sessions. Your pass gives you access to all of them!

You’ll notice that many days have a theme, like Pinterest Marketing, LinkedIn Marketing, blogging or video marketing.

#5: Cost-effective

Most conferences cost thousands of dollars in travel, hotel expenses and the other costs of attending a physical conference. Not Social Media Success Summit. This is an online conference so those costs are eliminated.

#6: Leading Brands

You’ll hear from and interact live with experts at leading B2B and B2C brands such as Sony, General Electric, Whole Foods Market, Discovery Channel, E! Online, Kelly Services, Walmart and more.

They will share the very same practical, real-world, proven social media marketing strategies that make their brands so successful.

#7: Impressive Attendance

Nearly 3000 fellow marketers will be participating in this year’s online summit.

Last year, some of the marketers who participated were from NASA, Wells Fargo, Home Depot, American Express, New York University (NYU), Marriot, Kodak, UPS, General Motors, Motorola, Federal Reserve Bank, Verizon Wireless, HP, IBM, Dell and thousands of small businesses.

There’s no other social media marketing conference in the world that is so well attended.

#8: Rave Reviews

Last year, thousands of marketers attended the online summit and 98% said they would come again and invite their colleagues. Here’s what some of them said about that event:

“Incredible value for money! Love that this quality of knowledge and expertise was available to me from my home office. Incredible job, Michael. Thank you.” – Vanessa Carrington

“Thank you is a very small thing to say, but what I have learned is giving me a fantastic future!” – Debra Sillanpaa

“Do it! Experts who are actively having success in their specific social media arena lead the webinars. They bring RICH content that can’t help but get your creative juices flowing! In my book, it’s a must-attend event!” – Miriam Battson

#9: Valuable Networking

You’ll make valuable new connections in our private and exclusive LinkedIn group (nearly 1600 marketers joined our group last year) and chat live with other participants in our Twitter chat room.

On a closing note, Social Media Examiner is very excited to bring you this year’s summit. We’ve poured our hearts into it, and worked tirelessly to bring you the best social media marketing content from the best instructors in the world.

We really believe this will be the best Success Summit ever! We hope you share our enthusiasm. We can’t wait for you to experience it with us in October!

What do you think? Would you be interested in learning what some of the world’s top social media experts are doing to be so successful? Leave your questions and comments in the box below.

]]>http://pillarsocialmedia.com/9-reasons-to-attend-social-media-success-summit-2013/feed/0Motor City Pizza Fest 2013http://pillarsocialmedia.com/motor-city-pizza-fest/
http://pillarsocialmedia.com/motor-city-pizza-fest/#commentsMon, 09 Sep 2013 15:30:25 +0000Eric Vogelhttp://www.pillarsocialmedia.com/?p=3778]]>On August 8th, the first annual Motor City Pizza Fest took place in Royal Oak, Michigan, and Pillar Social Media was asked to run the social media campaign for the event. The Motor City Pizza Fest is an annual community festival in which people from the surrounding areas of Royal Oak come together to celebrate the originality and culture of Detroit pizza. The event includes several pizzerias that originated in the Metro Detroit area (selling pizzas by the whole or slice and giving away free samples), beer and wine, and various vendors that offer patrons an abundant selection of items to purchase. Live music is played throughout the night, providing entertainment for the whole family.

Since this was the first year of the Motor City Pizza Fest, Pillar Social Media had to create the Facebook and Twitter accounts, which included all of the information about the event, and designed each profile with custom designed photos. To build the social media accounts and increase engagement leading up to the event, Pillar posted pizza trivia (questions in the morning; answers in the afternoon) and engaging questions as status updates, such as “What toppings make up your perfect pizza?” There was an ongoing contest called “30 Days of Free Pizza” where followers visited the registration tab (also designed by Pillar) and inserted their information for the chance to win a pizza from the featured pizzeria of the day – Pillar posted a photo of each featured pizzeria with the link to the registration form. Pillar also published updates encouraging followers to purchase tickets and RSVP to the Facebook event that was created. As the event grew closer, Pillar started a countdown to the festival by posting different pizza related pictures representing the number of days left and rotated between including the link to the event and the link to purchasing tickets in the caption. Visitors to the MCPF Facebook page were able to purchase tickets directly on the custom tab (built by pillar) which made it extremely easy for people to register and not even have to leave Facebook! Facebook Ads and Sponsored Stories were also utilized to drive attendance to the festival and expose the page to friends of those who liked the Motor City Pizza Fest page.

The festival was a major success! Pillar Social Media grew the Facebook following from 0 to 363 in just one and a half months! 20,600+ people were reached the week of the festival and 1,230+ people were engaged on Facebook the week of the festival. Posts reached 6,394 people the week of the festival and received 3,354 clicks. When discussing details with the coordinator of the Motor City Pizza Fest, he mentioned he would be happy with 500 people attending. To his surprise, the event had record-breaking ticket sales with 1,700+ attendees, which is fantastic for a first year event!

The Motor City Pizza Fest received a lot of positive feedback in person and on the Facebook page. Visitors had a great time celebrating the rich pizza heritage of Metro Detroit. Next year’s event will be bigger, better, and even more delicious!

If you run a company page on Facebook, chances are you are familiar with their analytics feature, which gives insight into how your fans are responding to your page. The attribute includes various graphs and numbers representing the data of engagement, reach, and likes. But don’t get too comfortable with how it is because Facebook is rolling out a new version, which is already available to select members.

The new page insights are sleeker and provide a better look into the statistics of your page and following. Most of the stats are broken down into individual metrics to give you a more specific measure of how your page is performing. Here are some examples of the new features you should be most excited about:

OverviewThe “Overview” tab (the dashboard) gives you a brief summary of the status of your page likes, post reach, engagement, and the statistics on your five most recent posts.

PostsIn the “Posts” tab, you can view all of the posts you have published over the past two months. The general view looks like the above photo, but clicking on a post gives you the breakdown into how many comments, shares, and likes each post received, the reach, and whether there was any negative feedback.

When Your Fans Are OnlineUnder the “Posts” tab (same tab as above), you can view when your fans are online based on the day. Just click on the square above the day of the week and the graph will be adjusted to show the times your fans are online that day of the week – perfect for planning out your posts!

Best Post TypesYou can also view which types of posts your followers like the most under the “Posts” tab and plan your content accordingly.

Page and Tab VisitsBy visiting the “Visits” tab, you can view a graph that shows how the different parts of your page are being viewed. The main view gives an overview with all of the parts combined, but on the right side, you can click on each part and see its individual performance.

It’s safe to say the new layout for Facebook Page Insights is pretty intriguing and very pleasing to the eye. It gives great insight into how your page is functioning and helps you to better your content and strategy in running the page. Happy posting!

]]>http://pillarsocialmedia.com/become-familar-facebook-page-insights-new-layout/feed/18 Tips for Using Google+ for Businesshttp://pillarsocialmedia.com/8-tips-for-using-google-for-business/
http://pillarsocialmedia.com/8-tips-for-using-google-for-business/#commentsSat, 10 Aug 2013 12:32:05 +0000Eric Vogelhttp://www.pillarsocialmedia.com/?p=3744]]>Google+ often gets put on the back burner when it comes to a business’ social media accounts, but why? It can greatly increase the online exposure of your company and has many desirable features. Plus, it has over 359 million active users, which is about 159 million more than LinkedIn and Twitter. Google+ doesn’t get the credit it deserves! In order to fully utilize all that Google+ has to offer, there are just a few things you need to know:

1. Be Active and Promote Your PageIn order to see high engagement, you need to post frequently on your Google+ page. Obviously you don’t want to overdo it, but make sure you are regularly posting relevant and enticing content and maybe even hosting Hangouts regularly. You want to keep your customers involved and interested!
Promote your Google+ page on your website and other social media accounts to increase your follower count. Add the badge to your website and schedule posts on your other networks encouraging your audience to check out your Google+ page.

2. Use Google+ RipplesRipples is a savvy new insights tool that helps you identify the influencers in your company’s market and what posts intrigue them the most by using easy to follow graphics.

It provides a pictorial guide to who has shared your content and the comments they have made. Use it to identify trends and view the range of your content from the time it was posted to the present.

You can also see in what ways and languages a post has been shared and the different statistic associated with that post.

3. Schedule Google+ HangoutsWhat’s a Google+ Hangout you ask? It’s like a webinar, only better! Google+ Hangouts allow you to broadcast a live session to anyone with an Internet connection; it’s like a talk show online. Invite brand leaders, answer customer questions, have a discussion with professionals; host any kind of session you think your audience would like. It’s a great way to get your customers involved with your company. You can also record your Google+ Hangout session while it’s happening and it will be posted directly to your YouTube channel (just be sure your Google+ page is linked to the correct YouTube account).

4. Use HashtagsAs with any social media site, hastags are a great way to increase the exposure of your content posted. By inserting a hashtag, your content will appear in the search results when a user clicks on or manually searches for that hashtag. Google+ has taken it one step further and includes them with every update. Sometimes it will even suggest hashtags for you!

5. Take Advantage of Larger Cover PhotosThe fact that the size of the cover photos increased may not seem significant to you, but it actually holds importance. This gives you a greater opportunity to draw your audience in. You can use the cover photo as a chance to show your potential customers what your company is about via a captivating picture.

6. Utilize Google+ LocalIf you haven’t already noticed, Google+ Local has replaced Google Places. Google+ Local helps users discover and share places based on their circles, past reviews, and location. When a search is done on Google, the results show reviews, details, photos, and scoring of the businesses that have Google+ pages. Also, users are prompted to review places they’ve searched for on Google – great PR for businesses! Create your page today to get started!

7. Be Involved in CommunitiesGoogle+ offers communities, similar to Facebook groups and LinkedIn groups. There is a vast variety to choose from, so chances are you will find at least one that fits your company. If not, you have the option to create your own community. Google+ has a great spam management system in place and will make posts only visible to moderators if it is detected as possible spam, but if you would like extra protection against spam, you can create your own private community and invite the people you want as members. You can also create your community as public and regulate the members who join

8. Connect Your Company Website to Your Google+ PageGoogle+ allows you to embed a badge into your website to encourage customers to connect with you. There are several different options to choose from: +1 button (pictured below), regular badge, follow button, interactive posts, etc. The follow button badge is probably your best bet because it allows visitors to follow your company on Google+ without leaving your site. Also, when you add the Google+ badge to your website, the follow button will appear next to your listing in Google search results. How convenient!

Google+ has come a long way since its introduction and is on its journey to being on top of the social media world. Take advantage of its many attributes and grow your business’ online presence!

]]>http://pillarsocialmedia.com/8-tips-for-using-google-for-business/feed/08 Tips for Using LinkedIn for Businesshttp://pillarsocialmedia.com/8-tips-linkedin-for-business/
http://pillarsocialmedia.com/8-tips-linkedin-for-business/#commentsThu, 27 Jun 2013 10:48:20 +0000Eric Vogelhttp://www.pillarsocialmedia.com/?p=3731]]>LinkedIn is the cream of the crop when it comes to professional and business social media websites. The social network is the best place for your company to gain exposure and acquire more business when used to the fullest. Not sure if you’re using LinkedIn correctly? We have eight tips that can help you get the most out of this business-focused social network.

1. Generate LeadsNo matter what type of business you have, marketing offers such as free materials and sharing information about them can generate leads for your company page. Asking for recommendations from your connections via a LinkedIn message will also help. The recommendations will be posted directly to your page, showing viewers how awesome your business is!

2. Engage Your AudienceWhere to start, you ask? A captivating cover photo. As soon as a potential connection lands on your page, the photo will be at the center of their attention. With an appealing cover photo, visitors will more than likely be intrigued and continue looking at your company’s page to see what you’re all about.

The next step is to make use of status updates. Create a buzz by doing sweepstakes, contests, or simply asking questions that relate to your company in your statuses to engage your audience and build your following. Photos are a great item to post, too! You can use pictures that relate to your company’s field, inspirational or career quotes, or even cute animals (because, let’s be honest, no one can resist cute, furry animals!)

3. Take Advantage of LinkedIn GroupsJoining groups that relate to your company can give you leverage. Search the group for certain topics and browse around the different sections to see what interests your target market. This can help you gauge what content you should post in order to draw your audience in. Also, by searching topics within the groups, you can see what type of content is drawing the most engagement and use that as a guideline for some of your posts.

4. Post Updates OftenLinkedIn recently recorded data that states the morning is the best time for companies to engage followers on social platforms. This of course doesn’t mean you should only post in the morning; not all users login in the morning, so make sure you are scheduling posts throughout the day for those who are logging in later on.

Now, chances are you are a busy person and aren’t able to sit by a computer and manually post several times a day. This is where tools like HootSuite come in. Hootsuite allows you to have all of your social networks in one place, which makes it convenient to schedule posts, and best of all – it’s free! Facebook has scheduling incorporated into its platform, but you can still connect your Facebook to Hootsuite if you want all of your networks in one place. With Hootsuite, you can schedule any type of update – photos, text, links…you name it; you can post it!

5. Promote Your LinkedIn Company PageA great way to increase activity on your LinkedIn Company page is to simply include a link to the page on your website and in your email signature. This will inform potential clients about your LinkedIn profile who will take a look at your page and more than likely become a follower.

Another great way to promote your page is by including LinkedIn recommendations on your website. By adding the recommendations to your website, you will be adding more credibility to your products, which will convey the trustworthiness of your company. This will also increase leads and new followers for your page. Just make sure you get approval from those who will appear on your website!

6. Use LinkedIn Recommendation AdsLinkedIn Recommendation Ads are a unique type of ad that can help you increase activity and engagement on your company page. How it works: every time someone recommends your product or service, the recommendation is automatically shared with that person’s followers, which can cause your company to gain more reach and, in turn, more followers.

7. Use the LinkedIn Lead Collection WidgetIf you’re going to be using an ad campaign on LinkedIn, you should also use their Lead Collection Widget on your landing page. This widget allows people to easily submit their email address to you by simply entering it into a box at the top of your page, which is especially appealing to those on a mobile device who don’t want to bother typing all of their info into your company’s contact form. Not only is it convenient for your visitors, but it will also help your company gain leads faster – a win-win!

8. Utilize LinkedIn Sponsored InmailSending custom messages to your target market has never been easier! With LinkedIn Sponsored Inmail, you don’t need your own list of contacts; just write up a message, add your URLs, and let LinkedIn identify exactly whom you want to contact. This is a great way to acquire leads and increase the traffic to your website. The only catch – it costs money…but the ability to reach your specific target market is worth it. The Inmail campaign is also a great way to share information about a new product or service, which could be just what your company needs to get the word out!

]]>http://pillarsocialmedia.com/8-tips-linkedin-for-business/feed/0How To Use Vine For Businesshttp://pillarsocialmedia.com/vine-for-business/
http://pillarsocialmedia.com/vine-for-business/#commentsSun, 02 Jun 2013 17:27:08 +0000Eric Vogelhttp://www.pillarsocialmedia.com/?p=3700]]>One of the newest ideas in the social media world is video sharing that looks like photo sharing, such as that on Instagram. Dominating this social media trend is the Vine app, which far outweighs its competitors and is the highest selling free app in the Apple iOS store. Given the increasing popularity of mobile apps, it is the perfect

platform to increase your follower base and reach potential customers. Vine is a great way to bring the traditional “ad” form into the modern era, and a valuable addition to any company’s social media presence, with the ability to bring in and involve customers simply by clicking a button.

Vine is an asset to a growing small business, simply by being another format of doing low budget ads – which can take many formats. Vine can be used as a way of sharing unique and humorous anecdotes about company life to establish a connection to your clients and establish yourself as a part of your local community. If you provide a service you can showcase your service method or unique jobs in an abbreviated manner, in either a humorous or practical manner. Seeing is believing, and companies can be transparent about their hard work and what makes them unique, letting their personality come across naturally. Vine allows consumers to go behind the scenes in a visually engaging way that also offers a window – not just a snapshot – into your brand and culture that makes you the best for the job.

Vine is great a way to spice up a company’s Twitter and Facebook feeds, increasing engagement with a different form of content that is quick and easy to share. This applies on the other end as well; encouraging fans and clients to share responses via Vine is a great way to get feedback and let your consumers take part in the story of your business and its image. You can do so by accompanying your Vines with a brief caption and accompanying hashtag, such as “Oreo: Lights out? #DunkInTheDark (video link)”. By doing so, you are increasing the ease for you and your consumers (and their friends, too!) to find the engagement levels and analyze the responses received.

The advantages of Vine lie in the low cost of using social media and the ability to move at the “speed of news” without too much delay. Calvin Klein, who aired ads using Vine via Twitter during the Super Bowl blackout, realized the low cost opportunity but did not capitalize by making it relevant. Oreo was more successful with a timely and topical picture response. Keep in mind that format is not a substitute for content, and that topicality must be top of mind. For a local or smaller scale business, a targeted and relevant response can be extremely advantageous. Additionally, this cuts out the obstacle of needing ad agencies and client executives to be involved – the local business does not need to worry about this, as any iPhone can shoot a Vine and it lends itself to a grassroots approach.

You can also use the app to get others excited about special events your company is hosting or attending. Build excitement by releasing teasers of new ads, promotions, or any media content you may be creating. For events, generate buzz with animations of events on the agenda, shots of people getting ready, people’s reactions to flyers, and even record snippets of the event itself! The events your company attends or puts on are part of who you are, and Vine is a great way to show that you have fun and work hard while networking doing conferences, etc. Highlighting and foregrounding this is endearing to your consumers.

Vine, being made for Twitter, also opens up the opportunity to go viral; all it takes is one humorous animation or candid moment…and suddenly, without spending thousands, your company is the topic of conversation across the Internet. So: be creative, be topical, and get to filming! To kickstart some thought, here are a few companies who have perfected and brought a unique idea into using Vine:

]]>http://pillarsocialmedia.com/vine-for-business/feed/0Instagram for Businesshttp://pillarsocialmedia.com/instagram-for-business/
http://pillarsocialmedia.com/instagram-for-business/#commentsTue, 21 May 2013 11:10:38 +0000Eric Vogelhttp://www.pillarsocialmedia.com/?p=3672]]>One of the most popular apps in the social media world is Instagram. With over 100 million active users posting over 40 million daily, Instagram continues growing, especially with companies. With the mobile app being so popular, it is the perfect platform to increase your follower base and reach potential customers. Instagram is a great way to advertise your company without using an actual “ad” and has the ability to draw in viewers with the simple click of a button.

Instagram allows you to be creative with your posts while also giving you the chance to showcase what your company offers and build a personality for your brand. One of the best things to do is to upload behind the scenes photos to give customers a look into what goes on behind closed doors; or if your company sells products, a look into the process of creating that product. Let them see the passion and hard work your employees do to ensure their satisfaction!

One of the best things a company can do on Instagram is encourage participation from their followers by asking them to post a photo of the company’s product or something that relates to the company and creating a custom hashtag. Increase engagement by posting a photo of one of your products or a photo that describes your company (or the logo…anything!) with a caption that says something along the lines of “Show us where you’ve taken your Starbucks reuseable cup! #StarbucksTravels”; then you can search the tag and see what others are posting. Photo contests are another great way to engage your audience. “We want to see your photos! Whoever takes the best picture with this product will receive a free one!” is the go-to contest.

You can also use the app to document special events your company is hosting or attending. Post the flyer, pictures from the event, and after to give followers an inside look; let them see how fun the events your company attends or puts on are! Most people don’t like feeling like they’re missing out on something big, so they will most likely show up at your next event.

Instagram also opens up the opportunity to go viral; all it takes is one intriguing photo or a cute kitten to explode your following…and save you thousands of dollars in advertising in the process. So keep that creativity at the forefront of your mind and get to posting! If you need a little inspiration, here are a few companies who have mastered the art of Instagram:

]]>http://pillarsocialmedia.com/instagram-for-business/feed/0Pinterest for Businesshttp://pillarsocialmedia.com/pinterest-for-business/
http://pillarsocialmedia.com/pinterest-for-business/#commentsWed, 08 May 2013 22:18:03 +0000Eric Vogelhttp://www.pillarsocialmedia.com/?p=3661]]>
Is your company on Pinterest? Are you taking full advantage of what the site has to offer? Many may not know this, but Pinterest has the option of creating a business page so you can use the social network to produce sales and leads, promote your products/services, and for other business purposes. Pinterest now also has web analytics to make it easy for you to track what is engaging your customers. There are several steps to be taken and guidelines to follow in order to successfully use Pinterest for your company.1. How to Set Up Your Business AccountThere are two options for creating a business account: you can either make a whole new account for your business or convert your personal page into a business page. In order to create a new account specifically for your company, visit the Join as a Business page and follow the steps. If you would like to convert your personal page into a business page, log in to your account, then visit the Join as a Business page and select “convert” in the upper right-hand corner.

Once your account is created, the next step is to verify your website. This will show your viewers that your Pinterest profile is legitimate. After this is done, all that’s left is to add the “Pin It” button to your website! Adding the button will make it effortless for individuals to pin items directly from your website or blog. Make sure you follow these last two steps; they’re needed to use Pinterest Web Analytics. Also, be sure to link your company’s other social media to your Pinterest account (i.e. Facebook and Twitter).

2. Getting Started – Best Practices for Pinterest for BusinessIn order to get the most out of your Pinterest account, your pins will need to be tailored to the likes and dislikes of your viewers. Pinning items that interest your target audience will attract them to your page and will encourage them to follow you. Don’t just create boards and pins of your products; show your audience your inspiration for your creations. When forming boards, use capturing images and stick to a specific topic for each one. And don’t be afraid to be yourself! Show your followers your values and personality – it’s okay to make it a little personal.

Another great practice is to make boards that contain keywords that relate to your products. By doing this, you can increase your search engine optimization ranking for those specific keywords. This isn’t just for your website either; it’s also for your audience, so they know what your company is all about.

3. Holiday BoardsPromote your products during holidays by creating new boards during any holiday (Halloween, Christmas, Mother’s Day, Fourth of July, etc.) to show your viewers that you can help them celebrate properly. The first step is to make a new board with the holiday related name, a description, and appropriate category. Once this is complete, you can start pinning! Pin relevant products from your website to the board or upload the images directly. If you upload them directly, ensure the images direct the user to a landing page on your website where a purchase can be made.
A good example is Etsy’s Valentine’s Day Love board:

The board contains capturing photos and great captions of items available for purchase on the company’s website. The goal is to intrigue customers and lead them to your website where they’ll hopefully make a purchase!

4. Theme BoardsAlong with holiday boards, you can also create boards based on different themes. A theme can be anything like location, color, design, etc., that you can use to promote your products. Once you choose a theme, create several boards under that theme and place them side by side so users know they’re part of a collection. This is a creative way to market your products and help customers find items that interest them more easily. This method is also great for search engine optimization; just make sure you mention the keyword in the board title, description, and in each pin description!

3D-Memoirs does a great job of using a theme by creating boards for the top 2013 wedding trends:

The keywords for the theme are mentioned in each board title and the main pictures are bold, which draws in the viewer. The boards consist of photos of the different trends and always links back to the company’s website and at least one or two pins are created specifically to link to the company’s blog about that particular trend.

5. Promote Your Popular ProductsPeople love popular items; they like to know what everyone else is buying and want a piece of it, too, before they miss their chance. Take advantage of this by creating a board of your most popular products (make sure the title and description portray this). With each product, include the price, whether it’s limited edition, and a call to action. Also make sure you update the board frequently, removing products that are no longer available and replacing them with the newest popular items.

6. Generate LeadsAn efficient (and probably the most important) way to use Pinterest is to generate leads. You can do this by creating quality content, such as blogs and case studies, that will link to a landing page on your website. Create a pin with a description about the content on the landing page along with a nice photo that successfully captures your audience.

The Free Marketing Resources board by Marketing Profs is a perfect example of this technique. This board contains pins of the company’s various marketing resources on their website. The company encourages their audience to download their free resources instead of directly marketing their services. Many of the items require an email address in order to be downloaded, which is a great way to acquire customers you can market to later!

7. Build an Audience FirstThe goal of your social media campaign is to generate leads and sales for your company, but with Pinterest, you want to take your time with promoting. In order to get the most out of your Pinterest page, you need to build an audience first. After you gain a following, you can start to promote your products and services. The best way to do this is by creating a board specifically for the products and services you are selling. The rule with Pinterest is to pin each item only once; pinning the same items over and over again will seem too eager and could get annoying to your followers.

The goal when first pinning a product is to get as many initial likes, repins, and comments as possible. This will encourage viewers to take a look at your product and will increase the likelihood of more direct repins in the future. So remember to focus on building your audience first by contributing content frequently, then pin your products!

Pinterest is a great social media tool that can help broaden your reach and acquire new customers in the process. All it takes is a little creativity and the following of these simple guidelines. Happy pinning!

It seems like social media sites are ever-changing to keep up with the demands of society and technology, making it difficult to monitor the constant changes occurring. People often don’t know all of the new features that are added with each update. Here are a few YouTube tips and tricks to help you take full advantage of all the social network has to offer.

YouTube Disco YouTube Disco allows you to search for your favorite videos, create a playlist with them, then easily watch the videos without the burden of choosing a new video after the one you are watching has finished.

YouTube EditorIf you edit your videos before uploading them to YouTube, there is no longer a need! YouTube Editor makes it possible for you to combine, trim, and rotate videos along with advanced features like stabilizing shakiness and incorporating transitions. You can also add copyright free music. This means good music for your videos without the threat of it being taken down. It’s about time!

Set default video playback qualityIt gets annoying having to constantly change the quality of each video you watch, doesn’t it? Well, luckily that task can be eliminated with one simple step. Sign into your account, then go to your Playback Settings and change it based on your preferences.

Watch videos blocked in your countryComing across a video that you really want to watch is exciting, but when you find out it’s blocked in your country, it’s frustrating. But take a deep breath, because there’s a URL trick you can use to watch it. Go to youtube.com/v/(video-id). With this trick, you’ll also be able to view the video at the full size of your browser window!

Link to a specific time in a videoIf you want someone to watch a video at a specific point, you can add #t=XXs to the URL, XX being the number of seconds after which the video will start.

YouTube LeanbackIf you’ve ever wanted to watch your favorite YouTube videos like you watch television, look no further. YouTube Leanback plays high quality full screen videos customized just for you (if you are logged in). If you’re not signed in, don’t worry; you can still use this feature! It allows you to pick a category to watch videos from, watch featured videos, and search for any video you’d like. Then connect your computer to your TV and enjoy!

YouTube ChartsUse YouTube Charts to find the best videos on YouTube. The charts feature the videos others are watching, discussing, and favoring. The option to select certain categories is also available and you can filter videos by popularity of the week, month, or year. And the best part? You can play all of the videos found in the results.

Legally watch full length movies and TV showsYouTube has a page that has full-length movies and TV shows available to watch, most being free. The movies and shows are categorized based on genre and are offered in HD quality. So grab your popcorn, get comfy, and watch a movie on YouTube!

Increase the amount of views on your videosPlace the important key words in the left part of your title. Since YouTube puts more weight on the left most part of the title when acquiring search results, putting the important key words in that section will make your video show up in more relevant search results.

Social media is one of the major tools all businesses should be using in order to fully market their company and engage customers. With social media, companies can interact with current customers and connect with potential customers, but there are so many social networks to use, how can you post to all accounts with one update in addition to keeping track of the results? This is where Hootsuite comes into play. Hootsuite can help you manage all of your social media accounts in one place. The social networks it supports are Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google+, Foursquare, Myspace, WordPress, and Vimeo; it also has a feature called App Directory, which allows you to add even more social networks and tools into your dashboard, such as Tumblr, YouTube, Flickr, MailChimp, SocialFlow, and many more.

In the dashboard, you can choose which accounts and its associated streams you want to monitor, such as news feeds, mentions and search. Each stream has its own customizable tab that can be organized by content, account or network. You can also connect more than one account with each social network, i.e. several Facebook accounts and several Twitter accounts. With certain streams, like Twitter mentions and direct messages, you can assign and respond to the messages with your team – how convenient!

To make a post, you simply type your message in the box in the upper left corner; add any links, photos or videos you want included; add your location, if desired; and select the account where you would like the content to be posted to. You can also schedule the post to go out at a later time. Scheduling is a useful tool that HootSuite has available, but if you’re not sure when your posts should go out, it can add on to the stress of keeping your social media accounts up-to-date. Luckily, HootSuite has created a great new feature called AutoSchedule, which, according to CEO Ryan Holmes, allows you to “spend more time finding and sharing content and less time worrying about the best time of day to share it.” AutoSchedule determines the optimal posting times for each of your social networks, leaving you only with the task of choosing the content you wish to post!

Another awesome feature of HootSuite is the ability to track analytics. You can measure the success of each of your accounts, gauge where traffic is coming from, create custom reports, and track URL click-throughs, which allow the necessary adjustments to be made to obtain the best results for your campaigns.

Overall, HootSuite is a great tool to use to keep your social media accounts organized and in one place. It allows you to track your accounts while making it easier to stay on top of the online world and increase engagement. Best of all, it’s free! Who wouldn’t want to use a free tool that makes work more efficient?

]]>http://pillarsocialmedia.com/how-to-use-hootsuite/feed/0Social Media Marketing and You: How to Expand Your Businesshttp://pillarsocialmedia.com/expand-with-social-media/
http://pillarsocialmedia.com/expand-with-social-media/#commentsMon, 15 Apr 2013 12:50:48 +0000Eric Vogelhttp://www.pillarsocialmedia.com/?p=3573]]>Social media is everywhere these days: on desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and even on smartphones. You can’t shake it, so you might as well use it to your advantage! Just like marketing with articles, you never want to put out low quality information that will ruin your company’s reputation.

Follow these tips and tricks to be on your way to avoiding the common pitfalls of social media marketing and making plans that are more effective!

Find out about different methods of advertising on social media sites before you begin. You have to remember that no two social sites are the same. Learn a little bit about the differences between them. Perhaps one particular site reaches a majority of people, so it would be a worthwhile recipient of most of your efforts.

Warning: things can get nasty on social media sites from time to time. Be prepared to brave a storm of negativity. It is always a good thing to know that there are positive things to say about your company, but you also have to deal with complaints. Do not ignore unhappy customers, but make an attempt to help them.

Create humorous content when possible. Keep the humor appropriate, but use it when you can so that you can increase positive reader reaction. When the things you post make someone laugh, they might share it with others. This is a great way to create a word-of-mouth effect!

Educate yourself on social networking itself. Even if you use Facebook or Twitter already, establishing a professional social media presence is very different from personal social media use. Take the time to learn what has worked for other professionals.

Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will your social media presence. You won’t get 10,000 followers in the blink of an eye. It can happen, but it is not very likely your profiles will get attention that fast. Provide good content, frequently update your page, and interact with your visitors and you will gain a substantial following in good time.

We gave you some basic strategies to use as you enter the social media marketing arena, but in order to really succeed, you need to figure out what works best for your company on your own. It will take a few trials and error, but once you find out that method, you’re on the path to success!

]]>http://pillarsocialmedia.com/expand-with-social-media/feed/0Social Media Marketing Tips the Pros Don’t Want You to Knowhttp://pillarsocialmedia.com/social-media-tips/
http://pillarsocialmedia.com/social-media-tips/#commentsMon, 01 Apr 2013 12:50:59 +0000Eric Vogelhttp://www.pillarsocialmedia.com/?p=3563]]>Using social media to market has become one of the most effective ways to advertise your business. Some people assume that this new method of advertising is complicated, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Utilize your time wisely and read this article to discover the secret to success.

Be careful with what voice you use when operating social media. People mainly use social media to socialize with their family and friends. They aren’t going to want to see “marketing language”, nor will the majority be able to understand it. Connect with your customers by speaking their language (or sometimes slang, if it’s appropriate) to increase your results.

Make sure your blog posts are linked to your LinkedIn page. Simply connect your accounts, post your article, and it will show up as LinkedIn updated. This will not only save time, but will also garner you more exposure.

Constantly update the content on your social networking pages. A lot of social network users will expect you to update frequently. If you don’t do this, you may get a bad reputation and a loss of followers. Attempt updates at least three or four times a week in order to stay relevant and in your audience’s minds.

Assist others in your niche. You will not only have a constant flow of business using this method, but you will build credibility with customers and colleagues. Search social media profiles for people that are asking the questions related to the industry that you specialize in. Answer the ones you can and you may increase the traffic to your page and attract customers you may not have found otherwise.

Use coupons and time sensitive deals to get buzz for your site. People will be more likely to order products right away and share this information with their friends if there is an offer attached. This will also make your viewers more inclined to share your posts.

Integrate your keyword ads into links that are related to those keywords. This is one thing that must be done in social media marketing. The page you link to can be your blog, product page, or social media page. Also, remember to frequently update your pages with fresh content that includes up-to-date matter and any current promotions. In short, just remember that your ads need to be related to the keywords, and that the landing destination has to be relevant and attractive.

After reading this article, you now know that social media marketing isn’t as confusing as you once thought. It is a great way to cheaply and easily get your company known. You just need to be willing to spend some time and effort to reap the rewards of this new way of marketing your business online.

Facebook is changing its layout yet again, but this time it will be more visually pleasing, clean, and organized. In an announcement, Facebook said, “We heard from you that the current Timeline layout is sometimes hard to read. Starting today, all posts are on the right side of your timeline, with photos, music and other recent activity on the left.” Some of the major advantages include larger images, multiple feeds for various interests, and a more consistent user experience across mobile devices. The larger posts are great for advertisers who want to engage their followers more; instead of seeing four posts at once, it will be closer to two.

Since the layout is more customizable, it will be easier to share more information, such as favorite books and music in the About page. The layout also includes an nifty navigation bar that lets you switch from section to section of someone’s page and add third-party apps like Etsy and Netflix to your own Timeline. Also new to the layout are drop down menus that allow you to combine your About page with that of your friends. For example, if your friend has read a book you have read or would like to read, you can “like” it and add it to your About page with the label of “Read” or “Want to Read”.

The new site contains a tool bar (similar to the one on the current mobile site) on the left side of the page is also a great aspect of the new site. This provides users with an easy way to navigate between messages, their news feed, events, groups, apps, and chat. The layout also had multiple news feeds, which will allow you to sort between an array of various categories like close friends, friends in general, music, photos, games, and people and brands you “follow” or “subscribe” to. A simple chronological news feed timeline is also a possibility if you’d prefer that.

While the new layout isn’t available to everyone just yet, you can join the waiting list by visiting facebook.com/about/newsfeed and clicking the giant green “Join Waiting List” button. How long you’ll have to wait is uncertain, but it is already available to some users, so expect an update soon!

]]>http://pillarsocialmedia.com/new-facebook-timeline-layout/feed/0Keep Your Customers Buzzing Using Social Mediahttp://pillarsocialmedia.com/social-media-buzz/
http://pillarsocialmedia.com/social-media-buzz/#commentsMon, 18 Mar 2013 12:50:08 +0000Eric Vogelhttp://www.pillarsocialmedia.com/?p=3568]]>Contemporary times demand social media marketing. Though you can use older Internet marketing strategies successfully, you’ll draw more customers to your pages on a regular basis if you use social media marketing. In many cases, this new marketing is vital to success.

Don’t know how to get started? We have tips for you!

Write your social networking updates carefully and always remain professional. Anything written may be used to fight you in court, so if you speak about your competitors, do not do so negatively where you can be held responsible for your negative comments.

When you get a new Twitter follower, become a follower of theirs, too. People always expect this with Twitter and it displays the proper level of respect. Say “hi” to new followers by tweeting (@replying) them and following them back to keep the conversation line open and to help you retain your following.

Ask for help when developing a social media marketing campaign.Social media sites represent an enormous opportunity for any business, which makes it even more important to use them correctly. If you are not sure where to begin, do not hesitate to use the services of an experienced social media consultant.

Twitter should be automated to keep people interested in your web page. You can setup your Twitter to automatically update with the posts from other blogs. Identify quality blogs that can be shared with the audience you have built. Doing this will satisfy your customers’ desire for new, quality content and help your page stay updated.

When dealing with social media marketing, you have to keep track of everything you’re doing. Good record keeping will give you a view of your traffic and sales over time. Link these stats to what you do and from there, figure out what works the best. Unless you accurately track results, you cannot possibly gauge the success of your social media marketing tactics.

Make sure there are plenty of links to the social media pages you have created on everything you do. You can also have an RSS feed that details your latest activity, too. At a minimum, these buttons should appear on your company site, your blog, and email and forum signatures. Provide multiple links on any social networks sites you have to make it easy for customers to find you.

Marketing, especially the social media type, can be easy to do and possibly even fun. Social media marketing is a great way to get customers involved in your advertising. Through proper implementation using the advice provided, you can be more successful with the use of social media.

]]>http://pillarsocialmedia.com/social-media-buzz/feed/0Use Social Media Marketing as Your New Advertising Platformhttp://pillarsocialmedia.com/new-advertising-platform/
http://pillarsocialmedia.com/new-advertising-platform/#commentsMon, 04 Mar 2013 13:50:22 +0000Eric Vogelhttp://www.pillarsocialmedia.com/?p=3566]]>It is always nice to use something that is free, like social media marketing. Other marketing strategies can have real costs if they fail, but social media marketing is cheap and easy to change. You can improve your strategy by applying user feedback and learning from the mistakes of other social media marketers. This feedback, along with the tips you’re about to read, will help you quickly attract customers to your site.

Try to learn from your past marketing experiences. Knowing what has worked and what hasn’t will allow you to embrace strategies that work and avoid those that don’t. This will save you an ample amount of time when launching your campaigns.

Make it easy for people to subscribe to your blog. Avoid positioning the subscribe button in a place that is inconspicuous; put it right up front and encourage people to use it. Also, remember that some consumers are working with a slower Internet connection and you want to make it possible for them to see the subscribe button as quickly as possible.

When developing your company’s design for social networks, include more imagery than just your company logo. Many customers often want to know who is behind the product or service they use. It’s important to share an appropriate family or a group employee photo every so often.

Watch traffic fluctuation with everything you do. By doing so, you can look at the results carefully. You should avoid jumping to conclusions when you have either a really good day or a bad one. Watch for trends on how your traffic flows.

Two-way communication is a must. Before picking a company to help with marketing through social media, make sure they use two-way communication. If they do, you can be sure that they will be able to deal with your specific programs with ease. Check their social media pages and make sure they have enough respect for their clients.

Send out an email to your contacts with a link to your Facebook page. You can gain a good audience by doing so. Perhaps you have already developed your mailing list. Put it to work for you by including your Facebook link in materials you send to subscribers. This simplifies the process of finding your social media sites for your customers.

When you have found your target market, polished your products, and joined the right social media sites, it is easier to publish your content. Publishing your media is simply a matter of posting your content on social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube in methods that mean your target niche will come across it. Then, all you have to do is sit back and watch your profits grow!

]]>http://pillarsocialmedia.com/new-advertising-platform/feed/0Market Your Business with Social Media to Reach More Customershttp://pillarsocialmedia.com/marketing-your-business/
http://pillarsocialmedia.com/marketing-your-business/#commentsMon, 18 Feb 2013 13:50:42 +0000Eric Vogelhttp://www.pillarsocialmedia.com/?p=3565]]>It seems everyone is jumping on the social media bandwagon. Social media can be difficult to master and takes time, hard work, and perseverance. Nonetheless, there are a few basic tips you can follow to jump-start your social media marketing success:

Do not shift away from your customers during holiday seasons. You can inspire holiday spirit and shopping enjoyment by staying in touch with customers during the busy time. Have a good contingency plan in place and try to have fun during the different holiday seasons. Visitors will appreciate it if you do!

Try to offer your customers the social media equivalent of a face-to-face exchange. The customer does not want to speak to a large company. If your customer knows that they are speaking to a single person who cares about their concerns, it gives them more faith in the company and they will develop a personal connection with the company.

Make your headline appealing to entice people to read your content. You can make it a question that is answered in the post and use words that pique interest like “amazing” or “unique”. If you make people curious, they are likely to stay with what you are saying or promoting instead of just skipping it over.

To get a wider audience make sure your content’s accessible enough. Don’t be afraid to use humor and don’t use too many technical terms. Make your content easy to understand; technical writing may not be comprehended by many and can cause readers to ditch the post.

Post on Facebook regularly. If one of your visitors asks something, you should always be sure to answer them. Respond to any questions quickly and participate in conversations on your Facebook profile. This shows you care about the people interested in your company.

Post videos on YouTube. Periodically make video blogs about your product line or discuss recent news and developments in your business. Once the videos are uploaded to YouTube, post them to your blog to provide your business with vast exposure to a wide audience.

Add a coupon code to your videos. The annotation feature of YouTube is an excellent way to hide a coupon code until the end of your video. Choose at what point you would like it to appear and coax people into watching your video in its entirety in order to get the special code.

Stay on top of social networks and the web. Social media changes constantly and you have to stay current with it. Figure out how to use the tools you have to get to your audience and keep their attention with high quality media.

]]>http://pillarsocialmedia.com/marketing-your-business/feed/0Life-Changing Social Media Marketing Tips Everyone Should Knowhttp://pillarsocialmedia.com/life-changing-social-media-tips/
http://pillarsocialmedia.com/life-changing-social-media-tips/#commentsMon, 04 Feb 2013 13:50:55 +0000Eric Vogelhttp://www.pillarsocialmedia.com/?p=3561]]>Businesses need to be on top of the latest marketing techniques if they are to compete with their competition and gain market share over them. The marketing of the future involves social media. This article contains several suggestions for you to use social media to promote your own business.

Attach an RSS subscription button to any social media profile that you have. This way, your readers can find your social media profiles. This will make it simple for your readers to find you across the web.

Inform your customers that you are utilizing social media. If they choose to follow your page, many social networks can let your connections know that they’re following you. This basically amounts to free advertising and something you should not take lightly. Given the referral nature of this aspect, it is in fact more valuable than traditional advertising.

If you live in America, then America is probably not the only place you’ll be marketing to via social media. This is why it becomes important that you create materials in other languages. Take the time to become familiar with the demographic you are targeting in each country and avoid a “one size fits all” attitude. You can create a meaningful connection and encourage returning visitors by creating something unique to each audience.

Provide constant updates so that your page stays as relevant as possible. Decide on when exactly to put up new content. If you update your blog frequently, people will visit it often. Set a reminder, if you need to, so you will know it’s time for a new blog entry.

You may either add a link to your Facebook profile from your site or you can have a regular Facebook review page on it. This lets people write reviews of your business that they can share with all of their friends. You are allowed to edit any reviews that are left on the site and you can remove any that are not to your liking. Creating a contest may encourage readers to write reviews.

If you follow the tips and suggestions here, you will see many different ways that social media can help your business grow. It’s easy to create an online presence for your business by using social networks; you don’t have to be skilled at using them to see a direct impact on your sales!

]]>http://pillarsocialmedia.com/life-changing-social-media-tips/feed/0Tips for Beginning Your Social Media Marketing Campaignhttp://pillarsocialmedia.com/social-media-marketing-campaign/
http://pillarsocialmedia.com/social-media-marketing-campaign/#commentsMon, 21 Jan 2013 08:50:14 +0000Eric Vogelhttp://www.pillarsocialmedia.com/?p=3571]]>If you have, or plan on having, a website that is used to generate a steady income, you will need to learn how to use social media marketing to your advantage. This is an excellent way to become well known online, include established customers in your activities, and draw new customers to you.

Here are some easy steps you can take:

Give your social media followers exclusive offers.Give your followers an incentive to buy by giving them exclusive discounts or offering limited edition items with a purchase. Putting up a contest for social media friends is a great way to keep customers engaged, but if that is not feasible for your business, offer a coupon or unique item. You can share exclusive information to your accounts on social media sites.

Know your audience. This is a must in order to be successful with social media marketing. You have to be aware of why these consumers are using the social network, what they do there, and what kinds of content they are seeking in order to effectively reach them.

Invite as many people as possible to join your social networking pages. You may be wondering, “what if they’re not going to purchase from my business?” That’s fine. You won’t have to worry about that. As long as they’re inside of your network, your business will be advertised on their network. So you will receive views by simply having them around.

Mention your progress on social networks in your content. For example, when you have more followers than Bill O’Reilly, you could mention that on your profile. Feel free to use some humor with it; everyone loves a good joke! Thank the folks who are following you and give them a summary of your experience.

Provide some incentives, but don’t be pushy. This is an important step to follow when using social media to market your company’s products or services. No one wants to be strong-armed into a sale. Offer an appealing promotion about once every week at the same time so customers know when to look for them. That way, customers get discounts but do not feel pressured or spammed.

Remember to stay active when participating in social media. If you are going to be successful then you need to be social in order to stay relevant! With no interaction or activity, your marketing campaign will become boring and disappear into the abyss. In contrast, if you are constantly adding something new to the mix, you will generate buzz that keeps your followers coming back for more.

In the beginning, there will be a small amount of traffic and it will spread outward, attracting customers from all the corners of your target area. If social media marketing is done properly with a quality product, your customers will come back and also recommend your business to their friends; a win-win!

]]>http://pillarsocialmedia.com/social-media-marketing-campaign/feed/0Is Your Business Trending? Harnessing the Power of Social Mediahttp://pillarsocialmedia.com/power-of-social-media/
http://pillarsocialmedia.com/power-of-social-media/#commentsMon, 07 Jan 2013 13:50:46 +0000Eric Vogelhttp://www.pillarsocialmedia.com/?p=3558]]>It has always been easy for businesses to get people to look at their websites. The various ways to use social media; each has strengths and weaknesses. One avenue that has emerged as a powerful strategy to find the perfect audience easily is the world of social media marketing.

Here are a few pointers you should consider following to maximize your social media exposure:

Include a visual presence when you make a blog post to show off to your readers. Pictures and videos help to break up chunks of text. Add some non-text elements to break up the text like logos, images, or videos that your readers will want to look at. Don’t overdo it with the media; have a nice balance of text and visuals.

Are you interested in getting the most from your social media strategy? You should focus on popular sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Google +, Reddit, and Pinterest. By directing all resources, you are able to develop a better marketing campaign, which can lead to a more successful business.

Try adding a widget to your site to maximize its social media marketing potential. Add a widget to your site to draw attention to your social media marketing campaign. The right widgets will give users the freedom to repost your content, vote on polls, or enter different contests you’re holding. It’s a win-win for everyone!

Try automating YouTube to achieve success with your marketing. When you post a YouTube video, you want it to automatically post to your various external social networks and your website as well. You can do this by simply going to your account settings and choosing the services to have your videos posted to automatically.

Take advantage of Twitter-related applications such as Twellow and Tweepi. Such programs let you identify those who are part of your desired audience and isolate the most relevant among them. This can enable you to discover people you should follow and will increase the chances that these people will follow you as well.

Don’t post or share content that is too religious, political, or personal. Letting your followers see some of your personality can be a good thing, but showing too much of yourself looks unprofessional and may leave people with a poor impression of you. Always write conversationally while sticking to your niche at the same time.

Start using social media marketing methods to promote your business. All sorts of media that entertains people can be used to attract a big audience relatively quickly. You’re still responsible for supplying useful services and products, but combining these can help your company succeed.

]]>http://pillarsocialmedia.com/power-of-social-media/feed/0Enhancing Your Bottom Line with Social Media Marketinghttp://pillarsocialmedia.com/enhancing-your-bottom-line-with-social-media-marketing/
http://pillarsocialmedia.com/enhancing-your-bottom-line-with-social-media-marketing/#commentsMon, 24 Dec 2012 15:00:32 +0000Eric Vogelhttp://www.pillarsocialmedia.com/?p=3480]]>The options and rules can be confusing when it comes to social media marketing, but you can focus on having high-quality media that will bring in lots of traffic. Remember that you are attempting to establish your online presence as trustworthy and knowledgeable, so don’t post a lot of fluff and meaningless content and videos. You need to understand your audience to get the most from your media postings.

Any comments left on the Facebook page should be replied to immediately. This is especially true for any negative comments. You might be able to change people’s opinions, or you could just show how respectable your company is. Respond promptly, as well.

Make sure as many people as possible see your content. It is necessary to produce strong content and get it posted on every social network you have. Also, consider posting your work on sites like HubPages, Associated Content and other sites that offer you visibility. If you don’t have the time, hire a company like us to do the writing for you (Our writing services). You may also be able to recycle old content you don’t need anymore.

Make sure you keep the Facebook account up to date. People like fresh news, and they love to have something new to talk about. When you create a blog post, you should also share it on your Facebook page. This will help you reach a much larger pool of readers.

Make sure you’re regularly updating social media streams. Stagnant profiles can be flagged as outdated by not only the major search engines, but also the readers. Update your streams with pertinent information and content such as new articles. If your looking for a company to manage your social media see our social media management services.

You should take advantage of the advertising options available on any social media communities that you have a business page on. This will be an inexpensive way to advertise and it also uses relevant keywords that help market your products. LinkedIn and Facebook both offer this type of targeted advertising. This advertising also makes use of demographic information, interests, marital status, and much more not available to other advertisers.

Update your social media pages often to increase interest. If you’ve got big product development plans, your followers may expect more updates from you. Be prepared for the many updates by having great content ready to post beforehand, especially if this is not your strong point.

Know the basics when it comes to social media marketing and work from there to watch you and your company grow. It is great to build an initial buzz, but if a firm is to endure, ongoing profit generation is key. The guidelines from this article are the perfect starting point for your company’s social media marketing strategy.

]]>http://pillarsocialmedia.com/enhancing-your-bottom-line-with-social-media-marketing/feed/0Gain a Following for Your Business with Social Media Marketinghttp://pillarsocialmedia.com/social-media-marketing/
http://pillarsocialmedia.com/social-media-marketing/#commentsMon, 10 Dec 2012 15:23:29 +0000Eric Vogelhttp://www.pillarsocialmedia.com/?p=3474]]>If you really want to be an online name and brand, your presence needs to be visible where folks can see you. Nowhere is that easier than on social media sites. Such websites are visited extremely often, so making use of them when crafting a marketing strategy is wise. It can actually decide whether or not you meet success or failure. This article contains some great advice on how you can make using social media.

Do not post raving reviews about your product constantly. It is good to add new content, but you need other ways of communicating as well. Share interesting global news that you feel would be interesting or helpful to your following.

If you want your Facebook page fun and to flow well, frequently put up content that looks good and is enjoyable. Just check out some YouTube videos, some funny articles, links to joke sites, and other potential pieces of content. Find the right balance between being friendly and professional.

Whether you’re creating content to post on a blog, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or coming up with interesting titles, it is important you come up with something catchy that people will remember you by. With headlines and titles that stand out, they can be powerful tools which draw in people and make them want to know who you are and eventually will lead them to your site.